Moisture and mud guard overshoe

ABSTRACT

A MOISTURE AND MUD GUARD OVERSHOE MOUNTABLE ON A SPORT SHOE OF THE TYPE HAVING SPIKES, SUCH AS A GOLF OR BASEBALL SHOE. THE OVERSHOE IS CONSTRUCTED OF THIN, STRONG RUBBER, PLASTIC, OR ANY OTHER SUITABLE MATERIAL THAT MAY BE READILY PIERCED BY THE SPIKES WHEN WEIGHT IS APPLIED TO THE SHOE. THE OVERSHOE FURTHER HAS A RESILIENT INNER-SOLE OF A MATERIAL WHICH IS ALSO READILY PIERCED BY THE SPIKES, AND WHICH SERVES WHEN THE OVERSHOE IS WORN TO WIPE OR CLEAN OFF ANY FOREIGN MATERIAL SUCH AS MUD, DIRT, GRASS OR THE LIKE FROM THE SPIKES.

Feb. l2, 1971 c. R. TAYLORy MOISTURE AND MUD GUARD ovERsHoE Filed Feb. 24, 1969 u 9/ MIFIG. 8A

CLARENCE R. TAYLOR II\JVEI\ITOR.-

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ATTORNEY United States Patent O n 3,559,309 MOISTURE AND MUD GUARD OVERSHOE v Clarence R.` Taylor, 75 Panorama Trail, Rochester, N.Y. 14625 Filed Feb. 24, 1969, Ser. No. 801,307

' Int.l Cl. A43b 1/10 U.S. Cl. 36-7.3' 5 Claims ABSTRACT oF THE DISCLOSURE f BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In many sports such as golf, baseball and/or football, a shoe is worn by the participants provided with spikes to increase the gripping power of the shoe and to minimize slippage. One problem that occurs with spiked shoes of this type is the build-up of foreign material such as grass and dirt on the spikes, particularly where the grass and ground lis moist, damp or muddy,- Consequently, a participant has to periodically clean offthe spikes and bottom of the shoes, particularly after the spaces between the spikes have iilled up with dirt, usually with some kind of sharp instrument. Applicants invention is believed to overcome this problem by providing an inexpensive, throwaway type of moisture and mud guard overshoe which not only protects the participants shoe from moisture, but when worn automatically cleans the spikes of foreign material such as grass, dirt, mud or thelike SUMMARY oF THE INVENTION This invention includes with its scope an inexpensive, throw-away-moisture and mud guard overshoe constructed of a thin, strong material suchl as rubber, plastic, or the like which may be readily pierced by the spikes of a sports shoe. The overshoe protects the shoe from moisture, and further has a resilient inner Sole that is readily pierceable by the spikes of the sports shoe, and during usage automatically prevents the build-up of foreign material such as grass and dirt ony the spikes.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive, throw-away, moisture and mud guard overshoe for a spiked sport shoe for protecting the shoe from moisture and for automatically preventing the buildup of foreign material such as grass and dirt on the spikes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a moisture and mud guard overshoe for spiked shoes that is of simple design and construction, and economical to manufacture.

lObjects and advantages other than those set forth above Will =be apparent `from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 3,559,309 Patented Feb. 2, 1971 FIG. 5 is a segmental enlarged view of a portion of the shoe and overshoe of FIG. 4 showing the inner sole thereof in its normal expanded position;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the inner sole in its compressed position;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing another embodiment of the overshoe;

FIG. 8 is a section view similar to FIG. 4 showing still another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 8A is a segmental view of a portion of the structure shown in FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawing, this invention comprises an inexpensive, throw-away overshoe shown generally at 9 which is constructed of a thin material such as rubber, plastic, or the like. Since the overshoe is not intended for long usage and is very pliable, it is not necessary to provide a right hand and left hand overshoe. Preferably, a universal symmetrically shaped overshoe may be provided usable for either shoe.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention seen in FIGS. 1-5, the overshoe 9 comprises a hollow body member 10 having the general configuration or shape of a shoe 11 with an open mouth 12 at one end thereof through which a shoe may be inserted into the overshoe. The body member 10 may be formed or molded by any known method such as a dipping operation designed to provide a very thin but strong member. In a typical operation, a mold, not shown, in the form of a shoe is dipped into a viscous solution of the material and then withdrawn with a thin layer of material secured thereto which immediately hardens. A resilient inner-sole 14 having an outer configuration or shape substantially the same as the sole 15 of body member 10l is secured to the body member by any suitable adhesive or the like. The innersole 14 is preferably formed of a flexible foamed plastic in cellular form such as urethane foam and which is commercially available as a polyether foam, typical properties of which may be found in Modern Plastics Encyclopedia for 1964, September 1963, volume 41, No. 1A, al-

l surface of at least a portion of the body member 10 as best seen in FIG. 3. Although the described overshoe is formed by two separate dipping operations, it may be possible to form the overshoe with a single dipping operation, in which the resilient inner-sole 14 is initially secured to the mold, and the two are immersed as a unit in a solution of material. The overshoe formed by this method as best seen in FIG. 7 is similar to the overshoe shown in FIG. 3 and described above except that the sole portion 15 of body member 10 is eliminated.

=In all of the embodiments of the invention shown in the drawing, parts similar to parts already described are denoted by the same numerals primed. In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 8 and 8A means other than a body member 10 is use to releasably secure the overshoe 9 to the shoe 11. In this embodiment, the overshoe 9 comprises a resilient material 14 of substantially the same shape as the bottom or sole of a shoe and preferably having a thin layer of rubber or the like, not shown, on one surface thereof, and any suitable adhesive on the other surface covered by any suitable overcoat material 18 as seen in FIG. 8A. To releasably secure the overshoe to a shoe 11, the overcoat 18 is peeled oif and the adhesive surface of the overshoe pressed onto the bottom of shoe 11 causing spikes 20 to pierce the resilient material 14 and outer layer, not shown. Means other than adhesive such as straps, clamps, or the like, not shown, having a portion thereof secured to overshoe 9 may be used to releasably secure the overshoe to shoe 11.

As indicated earlier, the overshoe 9 preferably has a very thin membrane 16 of rubber, plastic, or the like secured to one surface thereof. As a result, when the overshoe is mounted on a shoe 11 containing spikes 20, the weight of the person forces spikes 20 through the resilient inner-sole '14 and outer layer 16 and compresses the resilient inner-sole 14 to a fraction of its original thickness as best seen in FIG. 6 so that the spikes are unencumbered. However, as soon as the persons foot is lifted removing the weight from the resilient inner-sole 14, the resilient material expands to its normal expanded position as seen in FIG. 5, and during such expansion wipes or scrapes any foreign material such as grass or mud from spikes 20. Since the shoe spikes pierce the resilient material 14 and outer member 16 each time the overcoat 9 is placed on shoe 11, the overshoe does not have a long life.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof, but it Will be understood that variations and modifications can be eifected within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An overshoe mountable on a shoe having a sole portion to which spikes of a predetermined length are secured, said overshoe comprising:

a resilient member in engagement with the sole portion and having the property of being readily pierceable by the spikes and movable when weight is applied to the shoe from a normal expanded position, in which the member has a thickness at least substan= tially equal to said predetermined length, to a compressed position, in which the member is compressed to a thickness less than said predetermined length with the spikes piercing and extending completely through said resilient member, said resilient member wiping off the spikes upon returning to its normal expanded position upon release of the weight, and

means for releasably securing said resilient member to the sole portion of the shoe.

2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said resilient member is formed of a foamed plastic.

3. The invention according to claim 2, wherein said foamed plastic is a polyether foam.

4. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said releasably securing means comprises a hollow body member of stretchable membranous material for receiving the shoe and having the property of being readily pierceable by the spikes.

5. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said releasably securing means comprises an adhesive on said resilient member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,076,316 4/1937 Beals 36-7.5 2,142,981 1/1939 Richards 36-7.3 2,260,138 10/1941 Feinberg 36-7.3X 2,678,506 5/ 1954 Baroumes 36-28 3,032,898 5/1962 Servin 36--9 PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner 

